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Ama Ata Aidoo

Ama Ata Aidoo Quotes

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Ama Ata Aidoo is a Ghanaian-British author born on March 23, 1940. Her works primarily explore issues of African womanhood, gender equality, and the impact of colonialism. Known for her profound social commentary and literary skill, Aidoo's novels and poetry have gained recognition in both literary and academic circles.

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All People Writing Ifs Matter Men Sometimes Young Love Memories Needs

Famous Ama Ata Aidoo Quotes

“And yet, I have not wronged you, have I? Indeed if there is anyone I may have sinned against, it is me. That desiring you as I do, needing you as I do, I still let you go.”

Love Pain Desire Need

Book:Our Sister Killjoy

Source: Our Sister Killjoy

“My lady Silk, remember that a man always gains in stature any way he chooses to associate with a woman - including adultery...but in her association with a man, a woman is always in danger of being diminished.”

Men Love Women Adultery

Book:Changes: A Love Story

Source: Changes: A Love Story

“There are powerful forces undermining progress in Africa. But one must never underestimate the power of the people to bring about change.”

People Force Powerful Progress Underestimate Never Underestimate Undermining

Book:Changes: A Love Story

Source: Changes: A Love Story

“No matter what anybody says, we can't have it all. Not if you are a woman. Not yet.”

Ifs Matter No Matter What

Book:Changes: A Love Story

Source: Changes: A Love Story

“money-making is like a god possessing a priest. He never will leave you, until he has occupied you, wholly changed the order of your being, and seared you through and up and down. Then only would he eventually leave you, but nothing of you except an exhausted wreck, lying prone and wondering who are you.”

Lying Order Wonder Changed Making Money Priests Exhausted Up And Down Wrecks Possessing

Book:The dilemma of a ghost ; Anowa: two plays

Source: The dilemma of a ghost ; Anowa: two plays

“the best way to sharpen a knife is not to whet one side of it only. And neither can you solve a riddle by considering only one end of it.”

Way Ends Problem Sides Solve Best Way Knives Problem Solving Considering Riddle

Book:The dilemma of a ghost ; Anowa: two plays

Source: The dilemma of a ghost ; Anowa: two plays

“Time by itself means nothing, no matter how fast it moves, unless we give it something to carry for us; something we value. Because it is such a precious vehicle, is time.”

Giving Mean Matter Moving Time Values Vehicle

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“Once in a while I catch myself wondering whether I would have found the courage to write if I had not started to write when I was too young to know what was good for me.”

Ifs Knows Writing Young Found Wonder

Book:Changes: A Love Story

Source: Changes: A Love Story

“The very old certainly do not go back on lunch remains but they do bite back at old conversational topics.”

Remains Lunch Bites Topics

Book:No Sweetness Here and Other Stories

Source: No Sweetness Here and Other Stories

“Love is fine for singing about and love songs are good to listen to, sometimes even to dance to. But when we need food for our stomachs and clothes for our backs, love is nothing. Ah my lady, the last man any woman should think of marrying is the man she loves.”

Thinking Men Needs Should Sometimes Lasts Song Love Is He Man Fine Clothes Singing And Love Marrying

Book:Changes: A Love Story

Source: Changes: A Love Story

“Toyin Falola has given us what is truly rare in modern African writing: a seriously funny, racy, irreverent package of memories, and full of the most wonderful pieces of poetry and ordinary information. It is a matter of some interest, that the only other volume A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt reminds one of is Ake, by Wole Soyinka. What is it about these Yorubas?”

Writing Matter Given Interest Memories Pieces Wonderful Modern Information Ordinary Mouths Salt Volume Packages Irreverent

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“Politicians are easy to attack, but frankly, we are all guilty of not meeting the needs of Africa's young people properly.”

People Needs Young Easy Politician Meetings Guilty

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“Sometimes a word or an argument will trigger a poem.”

Sometimes Argument Triggers

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“I've written poems about gifts. Life is inspirational; sometimes it comes from the most unlikely places.”

Sometimes Life Is Written Unlikely

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“Once an interesting idea or theme occurs to me then I would want to write a poem about it. The rest, frankly, is not difficult.”

Want Writing Ideas Difficult Interesting Theme Interesting Ideas

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“I always wanted to write poetry, even when I was very young.”

Writing Wanted Young

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“Soyinka's Death at Dawn, Auden's Musée des Beaux Arts, Stevie Smith's Not Waving but Drowning and Wislawa Szymborska's Some People come to mind immediately. But there are plenty, plenty more that I enjoy.”

People Mind Art Enjoy Plenty Dawn Drowning Auden

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“People are worms, and even the God who created them is immensely bored with their antics.”

People Bored Worms Antics

Book:No Sweetness Here and Other Stories

Source: No Sweetness Here and Other Stories

“Its a sad moment, really, when parents first become a bit frightened of their children.”

Firsts Children Moments Bits Parent Frightened Sad Moments

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“Ghana is like a lion without a head”

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“Things are working out... towards their dazzling conclusions.”

Work Out Conclusion Dazzling

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“Humans, not places, make memories.”

Humans Memories Making Memories

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“For us Africans, literature must serve a purpose: to expose, embarrass, and fight corruption and authoritarianism. It is understandable why the African artist is utilitarian.”

Purpose Artist Fighting Literature Corruption Authoritarianism Utilitarian

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“O yes, everyone gets lonely some time or other. After all, if we look closer into ourselves, shall we not admit that the warmth from other people comes so sweet to us when it comes, because, we always carry with us the knowledge of the cold loneliness of death?”

People Ifs Looks Loneliness Sweet Cold Lonely Warmth

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“They had always told me that I wrote like a man.”

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

“At the age of 15, a teacher had asked me what I wanted to do for a career, and without knowing why or even how I replied that I wanted to be a poet.”

Age Wanted Careers Knowing Teacher Poet

Author:Ama Ata Aidoo

About the Author

Born: March 23, 1940
Known for: Author
Quotes: 26

Related Topics

People Writing Ifs Matter Men Sometimes Young Love Memories Needs

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Changes: A Love StoryRelated source material

No Sweetness Here and Other StoriesRelated source material

The dilemma of a ghost ; Anowa: two playsRelated source material

Our Sister KilljoyRelated source material

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